Thanks to the upcoming price drop for the 360, Microsoft’s console is about to become the cheapest platform on the market. Sure the the $199 model of the 360 is a neutered version, but it still makes the system highly affordable to those who may have previously avoided it thanks to the price. This fact might make people start to question how well the Wii will continue to sell now that it isn’t the cheapest system on the market. Could this be a changing of the guard? Not according to Microsoft.

In a recent interview Xbox head Don Mattrick has conceded that this current console war has most likely gone to Nintendo. “I’m not at a point where I can say we’re going to beat Nintendo,” he said. Of course he firmly believes that they won’t be coming in last. That position belongs to Sony. “We will sell more consoles this generation than Sony,” he claimed (again), and analysts seem to agree with him. IDC analyst Billy Pidgeon states in the piece that he expects “the 360 to remain in second place this generation. But it’s going to be close.”

Are we not only a few years into this generations life cycle? I know the Wii is dominating, but isn’t it a bit early to call it quits? Come on Microsoft! This price cut should give you a nice little jolt in the sales department and then you’re supposed to come out all arrogant and say crazy things about how you’re going to revolutionize gaming and sell more consoles than God (who holds the current record for console selling). It doesn’t matter if you’re never really going to win, at least pretend like you are. Ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy? You just made one.

What about Sony in all of this? Evidentlly they aren’t too worried about the price cut or anything else. “We’re really confident that consumers are making choices driven by value,” said Julie Han of Sony’s corporate communications after stating that the increase in 360 sales would only be temporary, “and we know PS3 offers that value across the board, with the built-in Blu-ray player the broadest and deepest software lineup in the industry, with LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2, Motorstorm… we’re quite confident our holiday sales will be good.” She also states that they believe that people will pick up a PS3 because it will be viable for the next ten years. Oh yes, because human nature and today’s society are so geared towards the long run.